Some communication networks (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE)), which comprise a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) as is described in a suite of Technical Specifications (TS) developed within and published by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)) grant a default bearer to a device upon the device connecting to the network. The default bearer only provides for a “best effort” delivery of all unclassified traffic, inclusive of media streams, with few if any guarantees of Quality of Service (QoS). However, some real-time media applications such as voice, video streaming, etc. need a minimum guaranteed QoS associated with the network bearer used to transport the media in order to present the media to the receiving user with acceptable quality. To accommodate this need, in addition to providing the default bearer, the network further provides a mechanism that allows requesting an allocation of a bearer having a guaranteed minimum QoS for media transport.
Conventional approaches to bearer reservation attempt to allocate, for a given media stream, a single bearer supporting the required throughput. When the network is congested, however, the reserved bearer reservation may be rescinded. Revocation of an allocated bearer may result in the media stream being redirected to the default bearer, or being blocked altogether, both of which will prove unacceptable to the end user.
Thus, there exists a need for methods of bearer reservation, maintenance, and use when one or more requested dedicated bearers are unavailable in a communication network.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. Apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.